Get LOUDER with Finchel
by GleeThings
Summary: A series of Finchel one-shots for each song from Lea Michele's album Louder.
1. Chapter 1: Cannonball

**Chapter 1: Cannonball**

Rachel paced the room with tears streaming down her face. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't stop moving or sit down, she just had to keep pacing. When Puck dumped her for Quinn Fabray, she was in a state of denial for abour an hour. Now it had sunk in and she didn't know what she was going to do.

Her and Puck had been dating for over a year. She had always had her suspicions that he had a thing for Quinn; but she gave him the benefit of the doubt. She had fallen for Puck and fallen hard. Though they weren't a couple you would usually put together, something about them just clicked; or so Rachel was led to believe. Obviously Puck had a different opinion.

As Rachel paced in shock, she could only think of one person she would want to be with: Finn Hudson. Eventually, she decided she couldn't cope anymore. She grabbed her keys and made her way for the door.

**~Finn's apartment~**

When Rachel had knocked on the door it didn't take long before Finn appeared. His face instantly fell into a look of concern when he saw Rachel's tear stained face. He didn't say a word, he just pulled her into a big hug and closed the door behind her.

They stood by the door, wrapped in an embrace, for about fifteen minutes. Neither said a word because no words needed to be said. Rachel was upset, so as always, Finn was there for her.

She had met Finn on the same night she met Puck. Puck was the charmer and Finn was just the best friend. Though Rachel had been dating Puck, her and Finn had always been close. In fact, if Rachel and Puck got into an argument, Finn would undoubtedly take Rachel's side. They got along like Strawberries and Cream; neither was quite right without the other. Rachel knew she could always rely on Finn no matter what.

When a sufficient amount of time had passed, Rachel pulled away and looked up at Finn.

"Shall we go sit down?" She said quietly.

"Of course." Finn nodded and took her to the couch. They sat next to each other and Finn pulled her close to him. He rubbed her arm reassuringly. "You can talk about it whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready." Rachel took a deep breath to prepare herself. "Noah broke up with me for that Quinn girl."

"I'm so sorry." Finn told her quietly.

"Don't be." She told him. "I should have seen this coming anyway."

"Rach, this isn't your fault." Finn made Rachel look at him. "You are an amazing, beautiful, funny, sexy girl. If Puck's too stupid to realise that, then screw him!"

Rachel smiled and looked down. A small tear escaped her eye and ran down her face. Finn brought up his hand and rubbed it away with his thumb.

"This is a good thing." Rachel assured Finn. "Noah just made me miserable in the grand scheme of things. When we were happy, things were great; but we had more bad times than good."

Finn smiled at her. "That's a good attitude to have."

"It is." Rachel nodded to him. "I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life. A chapter where I'll be happy. I'm going to find a great guy and we're going to be happy together."

"Where are you going to find him?" Finn asked quietly. His arm was still wrapped tightly around Rachel.

"I don't think I'll have to look very far." Rachel mumbled. She looked up at Finn and looked him in the eye. "There's kind of this guy that I've liked for a while now. I couldn't tell him though because I've been with Noah. But now that I'm not..."

"You should go for it." Finn instructed. Hope was apparent in his voice.

"Do you think he'll like me back?" Rachel asked shyly.

"No, I know he won't." Finn admitted and Rachel's face dropped. "Because he loves you. He hasn't admitted it before, but he's loved you since the first time he ever laid eyes on you." Rachel smiled at hearing the words.

"I love you too." Rachel told him. She had refused to admit it to herself for months, but now that she finally had, it felt great.

Finn pulled his signature half smile. Rachel sat up and pressed her lips against Finn's. Finn put his hand on Rachel's cheek softly and kissed her back. He could feel Rachel smile against his lips as he deepened the kiss. It didn't take long for Rachel to slip her tongue into Finn's mouth.

The kiss was passionate and long awaited. Both tongues were fighting for dominance and both were determined to win. Rachel pulled away for a second and Finn pouted slightly. He grinned when he realised she had only moved to throw her leg over his lap so she was straddling him.

Finn eagerly reconnected their lips and put his hands on her waist. Their tongues slipped back into place and fought for dominance once again. Even in the brief second they had been separated, Rachel had missed the feeling of Finn's lips against hers. She put her hands into his short, chocolate brown hair and tugged lightly. Finn lowered his hands slowly and grabbed her ass instead. It felt good to be like this with Finn.

Finn pulled his lips away and moved them down to where Rachel's jaw connected with her neck. He began to nip and suck at the sensitive spot, to the delight of Rachel. She tiltled her head to the side to give him better access. Finn bit her skin gently before placing his tongue over it to soothe the pain.

Rachel let out a soft groan that she couldn't hold back. Finn smile, satisfied that he was causing her pleasure.

"Finn," Rachel whispered. "I really do love you."

"I love you to." He replied, stopping what he was doing to look up at her.

"Starting today, my life changes. I'm going to be happy with you." Finn grinned and crashed his lips back into Rachel's.

**A/N: I know this is a short chapter, but I was stuggling for ideas with this song. The others will be longer!**


	2. Chapter 2: On My Way

**Chapter 2: On My Way**

"Shall we have another round?" Santana Lopez shouted over the music in the club as she slammed her empty glass onto the counter. She didn't even wait for a response, she just signalled for the bar tender to bring them another round of shots.

Rachel winced as she swallowed the last of her previous shot. The expected burn in her throat followed close after. She slowly put the glass next to the three other empty glasses in front of her. She could already feel the intoxicating liquid taking effect on her. She wasn't a big drinker so even the smallest amount of alcohol could make her drunk.

"I don't know, Santana..." Rachel slurred worriedly. Another glass of pure Vodka was placed in front of her and she eyed it warily.

"Oh, come on..." Santana urged. "We're celebrating."

Santana had recently gotten a promotion at work. Rachel was happy for her friend at first and it was her idea to go out and celebrate. What she had in mind was a small dinner out, or a girls night in. Santana loved the idea, but would rather go to a night club. Rachel regretted the idea of celebrating as soon as the words 'night club' came out of her best friend's mouth. Rachel was definitely _not_ a party girl and never had been.

Rachel hated the whole night club scene. The loud music that you couldn't hear anything else over. The crowded rooms that you could barely walk through. The dim, flashing lights that made it hard to see what was around you. All of the warm, sweaty bodies that crowded around you and suffocated you. The constant strong smell of sweat and alcohol. It made Rachel feel nautious just thinking about it.

Her best friend Santana Lopez was the complete opposite. She loved going out and partying and always had. Night clubs were her home away from home and was at one every weekend. For some reason, Santana was always determined to get Rachel to go out more. Despite the fact Rachel was content staying at home with her cat and watching Reality TV.

As Rachel looked down at the glass on the counter, she knew she couldn't ruin Santana's fun. She reluctantly put her hands on the glass to signal to Santana she would drink it. A smile instantly spread onto Santana's face as she picked up her own shot.

"Shall we make a toast?" She asked with a smile. Rachel nodded and picked up her drink. "What shall we toast to?"

"To your promotion." Rachel held up her glass.

"To my promotion." Santana repeated and held her glass up to Rachel's. Then Santana put the glass to her lips, and with practiced ease, tipped back her head and downed the drink in one quick gulp.

Rachel watched and cautiously followed suit. In one big gulp, she swallowed the liquid and put her glass down. She closed her eyes as the unbearable burning sensation traveled through her body. When she felt it was safe, she opened her eyes, just in time to see Santana order more shots.

* * *

"Thank you, Mr-" Rachel paused as she let out a hiccup. "Mr. Cab driver."

Rachel shuffled over the back seats of the taxi and opened the car door. She stumbled out onto the pavement and closed the door behind her. As she stared up at the tall apartment building, she could see it was swaying slightly.

"Oh my goodness!" She stopped to hiccup again. "The building's moving." A man who was walking past her gave her a confused look. "It's moving." She pointed up at the building in front of her.

The man looked to the side and then back at her. "I think that's you." He stated before continuing walking.

Rachel stopped and thought for a moment. "Oh yes!" She giggled at her mistake. "I'm swaying!"

"Excuse me." Rachel heard a voice behind her. "Miss."

Rachel whipped her head around and saw the road in front of her begin to spin. She stumbled slightly and tried to focus her eyes on who was talking to her. It was the cab driver who was still parked and waiting for her.

"Yes?" Rachel slurred as she crouched down to look at the man.

"You need to pay. That's $20."

"Oh, right." Rachel grabbed twenty dollars exactly from her purse and threw it through the window at the man. "Keep the change." She told him.

The man counted the money and frowned before speedily driving away from her. Rachel waved at the stranger and turned back to the building she had come to. She walked towards the big doors to enter.

When she got the the door, she put her hand on the handle and pulled on it gently. When it didn't move, she pulled harder. It still didn't move so she put all her weight onto trying to pull it open. It still didn't move an inch. She sighed in defeat and leaned against it tiredly. She was surprised when she pushed the door open and fell into the building, flat onto the floor.

She laid on the floor in fits of giggles for a few minutes. Every so often she would say, "I was pulling the door instead of pushing." Before breaking out into giggles again. Luckily, no one was around to see her embarrass herself; however, this also meant that no one was around to help her up.

After a few minutes of trying to push herself onto her feet, she finally managed to stand. She sighed and walked towards the elevator. On her way, she fell on her heels about 3 times. She finally made it to the elevator unscathed and pressed the button.

She waited impatiently for a few minutes until it finally opened in front of her. "Finally," She breathed, despite there was no one around. "I have somewhere to be you know."

* * *

"Pick up. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up." Santana had her fingers crossed and prayed someone would pick up on the other end of the line.

Santana had gone to the bathroom for a couple of minutes, and left Rachel in the club on her own. Despite the fact that Santana was only a little tipsy, Rachel was incredibly drunk. Santana loved drunk Rachel. She was louder than usual, clumsy, hilarious, and not her usual up-tight self. The only thing was, Rachel made bad decisions when she was drunk, and letting her out of her sight was a mistake that Santana shouldn't have made.

When she got back from the bathroom and realised that Rachel had disappeared, she had a good idea of where she would be. Although Santana prayed that Rachel hadn't gone to the apartment she thought she had, she knew it was a high possibility that she had.

She sighed and picked up her phone again. She dialed the number and prayed that Rachel would answer. However, she was met with the voice mail again.

**Hello, this is Broadway Star Rachel Berry. Sorry I couldn't answer your call right now. Please leave your number and I'll call you back whenever I have time.**

Santana sighed and decided to leave a message.

_**"Berry, answer your God damn phone! Look, if you're at Finn's apartment right now, I swear to God I will kick your ass the next time I see you."**_

She hung up the phone and threw it onto the counter with a stressed sigh.

* * *

"1-0-4. 1-0-5. 1-0-6. 1-0-7..." Rachel counted the numbers on the apartment doors she was passing. "1-0-8!" She exclaimed as she reached the apartment she wanted.

Rachel stopped and breathed a deep breath. She collected herself before knocking loudly on the door. A few minutes later, the door opened and a tall man appeared.

He was a lot taller than Rachel. He had chocolate brown hair that was messy at the moment. She had probably woke him as it was early in the morning and he was wearing sweats. He had deep brown eyes that stared back at her sleepily, but contained a hint of surprise.

"Rachel, what are you doing here?" The man asked as he rubbed his face.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Finn Hudson." Rachel put a finger on Finn's chest accusingly. "Finnocence the Finniot." She added cheekily.

"What are you doing here?" Finn repeated with a look that showed a mixture of confusion and concern. "Are you drunk?"

"You know I don't drink." Rachel lied.

"I can smell the Vodka on your breath." Finn told her. She held a self-conscious hand to her mouth and felt embarrassed at being caught out of her lie.

"Whatever, Finn." Rachel huffed in a mood.

"Do you want to come in?" Finn asked and moved to the side.

"Yes. We need to talk." Rachel stumbled into Finn's apartment and walked into the living room. Finn followed a few minutes later holding a glass of water. He put it down next to Rachel and looked at her.

"What's up?" He asked. "We haven't spoke since..." Finn drawled off and suddenly felt awkward.

"Since you left me for Quinn Fabray for the third time in _two_ years." Rachel told him grudgingly with a small, moody shove.

"Yeah..." Finn nodded suddenly feeling bad. "Look Rachel, I'm really sorry about all that. I've just been confused about my feelings a lot recently and I really like you and Quinn and I don't know which to choose, so-"

"Save it, Finn." Rachel told him slightly annoyed. You just prefer Quinn." She said quietly.

"That's not true!" Finn insisted firmly. "I love you, Rachel. I always have. I just love Quinn as well."

"But I love you." Rachel moaned and hung her head sadly.

"And I love you." Finn put his hand on Rachel's back. "You know, me and Quinn aren't together..." Finn told her suggestively.

"Really?" Rachel asked.

She knew that she had been trying to get over Finn for weeks now. She also knew she would regret this as soon as the alcohol had worn off. But she didn't care. All she wanted was Finn for the night. So, despite the fact she would get hurt, she did what she had been trying not to do for weeks.

She lent in slowly and rested her forehead against Finn's and whispered. "I want you, now." She pressed her lips against Finn's. The kiss was slow at first, but Finn deepened it and it became more passionate.

Finn put his hands in Rachel's hair and stroked down her back until he was holding her ass. Rachel ran her tongue along Finn's bottom lip until Finn allowed her access to his mouth. Their tongues began the fight for dominance and it was one of the most passionate kisses Rachel had ever experienced.

Eventually, Finn broke away and stood up. He lifted his ex-girlfriend bridal style and carried her into the bedroom. He threw her roughly but gently onto the bed and climbed on top of her so he was straddling her. Rachel immediately sat up and reconnected their lips hungrily. She shoved her tongue back into Finn's mouth and the battle continued.

Finn moved down slightly and began placing kisses along Rachel's neck. As he did this, he tugged lightly on the hem of Rachel's top. Rachel sat up and allowed Finn to pull the shirt over her head and throw it to the floor. Rachel's hands found Finn's pants and she tugged the sweat pants off Finn's legs. When they were fully removed, Rachel threw them away and left Finn in a t-shirt and his boxers.

Before Finn could kiss her again, Rachel flipped them over so the she was straddling Finn. She then crashed her lips back into his and pulled his t-shirt. She quickly separated from him so that she could pull the shirt over his head, but she immediately found his lips again right after. Finn put a hand on one of Rachel's breasts above the bra and began to massage it roughly. Rachel let out a satisfied moan that made Finn smile.

The moment was ruined when Rachel began to feel slightly ill. She pulled away from Finn and abruptly sat up.

"Are you OK?" Finn asked with concern.

Rachel didn't answer. Instead she jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom with a hand covering her mouth. Finn remained on the bed while he waited for her. She was gone for around fifteen minutes. Finn heard the sound of Rachel being sick and scrunched his nose in disgust.

Finally, Rachel walked back into the room looking embarrassed. She was only wearing a bra and a skirt. Her hair was messy from being thrown on the bed and she didn't look too good. She sat on the bed next to Finn but didn't say a word.

After a few minutes of silence, Finn spoke. "Does this mean we're back together?"

"No." Rachel shook her head but didn't look at Finn. "Coming here was a mistake. Recently, I haven't been able to see things clearly through all of the pain from you leaving me. I was drunk and stupid and I should have stayed away from you tonight."

Rachel stood up and grabbed her shirt and threw it on quickly. She then grabbed her heels and carried them with her to the door. "Bye, Finn."

"So that's it?" Finn called after her. "I've just become a drunken one night stand?"

"As I said, coming here was a mistake." Rachel repeated. "But I guess you have." Rachel took one last look at the man that she had been hung up on for the past two years. She then walked towards the apartment door.

She may not be over Finn yet. She may still love him. She might always love him. But for now, Finn wasn't what was good for her.


	3. Battlefield

**A/N: I know I missed 'Burn With You' but I had no idea of what to write for it. If you have any ideas leave them for me ina review. I will come back to it soon. Please enjoy this next song!**

**Chapter 3: Battlefield**

Finn opened his apartment door and threw the keys onto the table. It had been a long day and he couldn't wait to just sit with a beer and relax. The first thing he did was go into the kitchen and get a bottle of beer. He then walked into his living room to chill out and unwind.

He was startled when he opened the living room door and saw his girlfriend Rachel Berry stood with her arms folded across her chest. He didn't know she was here and was quite confused as to how she had gotten into his apartment. She looked angry at something and Finn had no idea what.

"Rachel, what are you doing here?" Finn asked as he put down his beer.

"I came because I thought we were going to dinner." Rachel reminded him through gritted teeth.

That's when Finn noticed what she was wearing. A tight, small black dress that made her look unbelievable. Her hair was curled slightly and fell perfectly with not a strand out of place. She had clearly tried to look particularly nice this evening so Finn tried to think back to any plans he may have had. He sighed when he remembered she was right. He had promised to take her to her favourite restaurant tonight because they hadn't spoke much recently.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry. I totally forgot." Finn apologised. He felt like a jerk for not remembering.

"Where have you been for the past three hours?" Rachel asked angrily.

"At a friends house..." Finn mumbled innocently.

"Which friend?" Rachel still had her arms folded firmly across her chest.

"What?"

"It was Quinn Fabray wasn't it?"

"Well I was just-"

"Why don't you see that she likes you more than just a friend, Finn?" Rachel asked in a loud voice.

"She doesn't, we're just friends..." Finn told her as he took a step towards his girlfriend.

"She does, Finn!" Rachel told him. "Why do you have to be so oblivious all the time?"

"I'm not oblivious." Finn told her with a frown.

"You clearly are! She is your _ex girlfriend_ and she still has feelings for you!"

"No she doesn't!" Finn insisted. They had had this conversation a million times.

Before Finn dated Rachel, he had been dating a girl named Quinn Fabray. There was no denying it, Quinn was absolutely beautiful. This made Rachel incredibly jealous, despite the fact that it hadn't worked out between the two of them. Finn and Quinn remained friends but Rachel had never been happy about this. Every time Finn spent time with Quinn, Rachel would act like a crazy jealous girlfriend; and it seemed crazy jealous Rachel had come surface tonight.

"What were you doing tonight?" Rachel asked in a calmer voice.

"We just watched a movie and talked..." Finn said quietly.

"Talked about your love for her?" Rachel inquired suspiciously.

"Can you stop Rachel?" Finn asked, getting a little fed up of this same argument.

"Can _I _stop? Can _you_ stop pretending like you don't still love Quinn?!"

Finn sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Rachel shrugged with a nod.

"If I still had feelings for Quinn, why would I be dating you?"

"I honestly don't know." Rachel admitted. "Maybe you thought it would be a funny and cruel joke."

"You really think so little of me?" Finn asked with narrow eyes. "That I would do something like that to have a little fun."

"You tell me." Rachel responded with a hand on her hip.

"I would never do anything like that! I'm shocked you think I would!" Finn was getting annoyed now.

"Well, sorry but what am I supposed to think?" Rachel asked quietly, feeling slightly ashamed of herself.

"You're supposed to think I'm a faithful boyfriend." Finn told her as if it was obvious.

"Even though you're off gallivanting with you ex girlfriend?"

"We weren't 'off gallivanting!'" Finn told her. "We watched a movie!"

"A romance I suppose?" Rachel assumed.

"The Avengers." Finn informed her with a smug smile at proving her wrong.

"That doesn't seem like Quinn's choice of movie."

"Luckily she's not my girlfriend so I have no reason to make a sacrifice to impress her."

"Stop being so cocky, Finn." Rachel told him with narrowed eyes. "It's not an attractive quality."

"Neither's jealousy." Finn retorted.

"Why are we even doing this?" Rachel asked in a quiet voice.

"Doing what?" Finn asked in confusion.

"This." Rachel indicated between the two of them. "Us dating."

"Because we love each other." Finn answered quietly.

"At first, this was great. It seemed like a great idea. But now all we do is argue."

"We argue because you're jealous and possessive." The words poured out of Finn's mouth before he could stop them. The minute they left, he regretted it right away.

Rachel's face instantly looked hurt and her eyes fell on the ground. Finn could see tears form in her deep brown eyes and she brought up a hand to cover her face. Finn felt awful for what he said, he didn't mean it at all. He was just frustrated at Rachel constantly thinking he was cheating on her. He loved her and would never do that to her. He took a step towards her but Rachel pushed him away.

"Rachel, I'm sorry." Finn apologised. "I didn't mean that."

"Yes you did!" Rachel said as a tear fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheek.

"I didn't." Finn insisted. He took Rachel's arms and held them. "Look at me." He told her. She reluctantly did as she was told. "I'll tell you why we're doing this. It's because we love each other and care about each other."

"But what if you don't love me?" Rachel asked him. "What if you love Quinn?"

"I don't love Quinn." Finn assured her. "I love you, Rachel."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Rachel asked quietly.

Finn brought up a hand and wiped away a tear that was rolling down her cheek. "Because," He started. "Ever since I met you my life has only gotten better and better. You're this huge, bright, shining star that has dramatically brightened my life. I know that we argue sometimes, but all couples do. It doesn't make us a bad couple, it makes us human."

"You're so sweet." Rachel smiled slightly and wiped away a tear.

"If you want me to, I'll stop talking to Quinn. That way you'll know that I'm not cheating on you. And that I love you, and only you."

Rachel shook her head slightly. "I don't want you to be unhappy because of me."

"But I don't want_you _to be unhappy because of _me_." Finn told her as he wiped away the last tear that rolled down hercheek. "I love you, Rachel." He whispered as he rested his forehead against hers. "I don't ever want to lose you."

"I love you too." Rachel replied.

She put her hand on the back of Finn's neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.


	4. Burn With You

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, I found it hard to write. I hope you enjoy it, please leave me a review to let me know!**

* * *

**Burn With You **

**26th August 2015**

Finn looked down at Rachel's motionless body. She looked so peaceful, almost like she was sleeping. Her face, for the first time in months, was emotionless, with not a trace of stress or worry. She looked trouble-free, despite having tubes coming in and out of her and machines around her helping her stay alive.

Finn took her hand in his and rubbed his calloused thumb over the top of her hand. There was no reaction from her, not even a twitch of the hand. It caused a sharp pain in Finn's chest to see Rachel like this; unresponsive and unaware of what was going on around her. He lifted his free hand and moved some stray hair from Rachel's face, delicately tucking it behind her ear and careful not to knock any tubes. Her forehead was moist with layer of sweat which Finn wiped away as he brought his hand back.

His eyes went misty and he closed them tightly. He lifted Rachel's hand to his lips and kissed it. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. All week he had been holding back the tears, now he knew it was a lost cause. He opened his eyes and looked down at Rachel's unconscious body. A sob escaped his lips and more tears fell from his eyes.

"Please pull through this, Rachel." Finn whispered quietly. "You can't leave me. Not now, not ever."

All that could be heard in the quiet hospital room was the humming of the machine that was breathing for Rachel; and Finn's soft sobs as he recalled the day he met Rachel.

* * *

_Rachel lay in bed, as usual, looking around the hospital ward. She hadn't seen anything different than this ward for around a year now. The only thing that changed was the patients in the beds around her. As Rachel sighed and began picking at her nails, she heard a voice from the corridor._

_"Good morning. Mr. Jefferson, right?" An unfamiliar male voice said. Rachel had learned the voices of all regular visitors as she had been here so long, so when someone new came, it was interesting._

_"Yes son." The voice of an old man replied. Mr. Jefferson Rachel supposed; she had heard his voice many times, it was nice to put a name to the voice._

_"How would you like a cookie?" The first voice said._

_"I'd like one a lot, thank you." Rachel smiled to herself. Volunteers came to the cancer wards a lot, usually carrying food or flowers._

_"Fine." Rachel frowned when she heard the first voice grumble. That never happened though._

_Rachel listened out to a rustle of a packet and then footsteps towards her room. There were eight beds in her room, each with someone in it. Rachel was the youngest one in the room and the rest were quite a bit older than her. A moment later, a boy appeared in the doorway and entered the room, without even a glance around._

_"Hello." He said to the old woman in the bed across from Rachel. "Would you like a cookie?" Rachel frowned. The old woman was clearly asleep._

_"I don't think she can hear you." Rachel called to the boy. He whizzed around and looked at her._

_"Maybe you're right." He shrugged and popped a cookie into his mouth. "I'll have hers then."_

_Rachel scowled at him and sighed. She had never seen this boy before, but he clearly wasn't volunteering to help people. He walked to the bed next to the old woman's and looked at the middle-aged man._

_"Also asleep." The boy noted, popping another cookie into his mouth._

_"I don't think you're supposed to eat those." Rachel told him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her._

_"Does it bother you?" He asked._

_"Yes." His eyebrows shot up, clearly not expecting the answer. "Why are you even here?" Rachel asked him._

_"I'm doing community service, so I'm volunteering." He shrugged and ate another cookie._

_"What's your name?" Rachel asked him._

_"Finn." He replied._

_Rachel looked him up and down. He was a very tall boy with messy, chocolate brown hair. His clothes were worn away in places and old, though he didn't seem to notice. In some ways, he was quite attractive, though he ruined it by not taking care of himself._

_"Well, Finn, I take it you don't want to be here." Rachel told him critically._

_"What makes you say that?" He took a step towards Rachel so he wasn't shouting across the room._

_"Your attitude sucks." Rachel shrugged._

_"I have to do community service or I'll be sent back to juvy." Finn admitted._

_"**Back **to juvy?" Rachel repeated. "What did you do?"_

_"My friend Puck drove a car through a convenience store window." Finn shrugged and took a few more steps towards Rachel._

_"Then why were you punished?" She asked._

_"I was in the passenger seat with a bottle of beer." Finn stopped right next to her bed._

_"People like you are deplorable." Rachel told him while rolling her eyes._

_"It's not like I'm proud of it." Finn said defensively. _

_"Whatever." Rachel looked away at the magazine next to her. The boy didn't move, he just stayed still and watched Rachel. "Shouldn't you be eating other peoples cookies?" She asked eventually._

_"Why are you here?" He asked with curious eyes._

_"What do you mean?" She asked._

_"You don't look ill like most of the people around here." Finn said, and took a seat in the chair next to her bed. "Only ill people come to hospitals, right?"_

_"Right." Rachel nodded and looked down at her hands. "I have Leukemia." She said quietly. "And only four years to live. At the most."_

_Finn looked down at the cookies in his hand, his eyes suddenly sad and concerned. "I'm so sorry."_

_"It's fine." Rachel shrugged. "It's not like it's your fault."_

_"Want a cookie?" Finn asked, offering the packet to her._

_"No thanks." Rachel replied with a small smile. "You can have mine."_

_"Well, if you insist." Finn pulled a half smile and placed a cookie into his mouth. "What's your name?"_

_"Rachel." Rachel informed him. "Rachel Berry."_

_"It's great to meet you, Rachel Berry."_

* * *

That was two and a half years ago. Finn smiled to himself as he stared at Rachel. He was such a different person back then. Hooking up with a different girl every night, causing trouble just for fun, getting drunk most weekends and some school nights; he was a trouble-maker. Now he spent most weekends fundraising for cancer research, and his friends were other people who's family or friends had been effected by the dreadful disease.

As Finn brushed away a tear that was rolling down his cheek, he caught sight of a picture on Rachel's bed-side table. A picture of him and Rachel, both bald. Rachel had a huge grin on her face and was looking at Finn through the corner of her eye. Fresh tears threatened to spill over Finn's eye as he thought back too that day.

* * *

_Community service was over, but Finn continued to visit the hospital. In the two weeks he had been a volunteer, he had befriended Rachel Berry. She appreciated him coming and talking to her and enjoyed his company. Finn loved talking to her too. She was different to all his friends, in a good way. She had a good heart and was beautiful inside and out. She was incredible in every way._

_As Finn reached the doorway to Rachel's room, he swung himself around the door with a smile on his face._

_"Hey, Rach." He grinned and walked to her bed._

_"Hey." She replied. Finn heard tears in her voice and when he looked at her properly, he realised she had tear marks on her face._

_"What's wrong?" He asked, concern filling his voice._

_"I started chemotherapy the other day." She sniffled._

_"That's good, right?" Finn asked as he took a seat by her._

_"My hair's been coming out." Rachel added. "They're shaving my head today."_

_"So, why are you crying?" Finn asked, taking Rachel's hand in his._

_"My hair is the only thing I like about myself." Rachel told him. "And it's going to be gone." Rachel began to sob and Finn's heart practically broke._

_"That can't be the only thing you like about yourself." Finn said softly. "How about how caring you are? You're generous, pretty, loving, confident, funny, and so much more." _

_"You're just saying that." Rachel sniffed._

_"No, I mean it." Finn told her, stroking her hand._

_Their moment was interrupted when a man with a razor entered the room. _

_"Rachel Berry?" He read from a piece of paper._

_"That's me." Rachel lifted her free hand to grab his attention, then brushed the tears from her cheek._

_"I'm sorry." He said as he made his way toward her. "It's time."_

_Rachel nodded and looked to Finn. "Bye." She whispered sadly._

_"No, I want to stay." Finn argued._

_"No, go." Rachel instructed him._

_"But I want to be here for you while it happens and-"_

_"Finn!" Rachel stopped him. Sadness evident in her voice. "Just go. I don't want you to see me like this."_

_Finn looked down and nodded. He stood up and walked to the door, casting one last look at a sad looking Rachel. He wanted to cheer her up._

_The next day, Finn made his way down the corridor and stopped at the doorway. He pulled a hat over his head and made sure the envelope was in his hand. He entered the room and looked at Rachel's bed. She wasn't smiling but was looking at her hands. Her head was hair-free and she didn't look happy about it. Finn made his way towards her._

_Without a word, Finn threw the envelope onto Rachel's lap. She looked at it and then up at Finn._

_"What's this?" She asked in a dull voice._

_"Open it." Finn instructed._

_Rachel did as she was told and opened it. She pulled out the contents which was a pile of money._

_"What's this?" She asked in surprise. "There must be $400 here." _

_"It's my sponsor money." Finn informed her. "I thought it could go to a cancer charity."_

_"What were you sponsored for?" Rachel asked him with a confused frown._

_Finn pulled the hat away from him, revealing his own bald head. He ran a hand over his freshly-shaven head and smiled. Rachel's mouth dropped open in shock before it pulled into a smile._

_"Finn, why would you do that?" Rachel asked, her voice no longer sad._

_"Because you were sad about losing your hair." Finn shrugged and smiled. "So I thought I'd try and cheer you up."_

_"You're amazing." Rachel smiled and reached for Finn's hand_

* * *

That day was full f great memories. He had stayed with Rachel all day while all her family visited her. They were all amazed at the boy who would shave his head to cheer a girl up. All her family loved Finn just from that day.

Although Finn's hair was now back to normal, Rachel's hair still wasn't as long as it had been. Her long brown locks used to flow half way down her rib cage; now it just fell to her shoulders in along bob. It looked great in Finn's opinion, though Rachel wished it was longer. They had had many debates about whether Rachel looked good. Finn fought constantly to make Rachel believe she was beautiful, though it didn't always work.

The doctors all said it didn't look good for Rachel now. Though all those years ago they had said she had four years left, two and a half years later, she will be lucky to last another month. It broke Finn's heart to think about losing Rachel. Just like their last conversation did.

* * *

_Rachel looked weaker than ever. Her results from her last tests weren't good and she was extremely upset. Finn sat with her and held her hand, trying to make her see the positive said of the worst situation imaginable._

_"I'm scared, Finn." Rachel whispered, disturbing the comfortable silence they had been sat in._

_"Of what?" Finn asked._

_"Dying." Rachel admitted, tears filling her eyes._

_"There's nothing to be scared of." Finn assured her._

_"Oh, yeah?" Rachel asked. "Have you ever **died **before, Finn?"_

_"No." Finn admitted. "But I no that you have been in unbearable pain for years now." He squeezed her hand. "And when it finally ends, you'll be an angel in heaven, chilling with Jesus, and amazing everyone with that amazing singing voice I know you have."_

_Rachel smiled but it quickly faded. "I'll miss you though." She told him. "And I'm still scared."_

_"You have nothing to worry about, believe me." Finn told her. "At least you'll be in a great, safe place. You were born a great person and have been a great person ll your life. You've never done any wrong to anyone. You'll be the queen of heaven."_

_"You're a great person too." Rachel said quietly._

_"It might be too late though." Finn said in an equally quiet voice. "I've done bad things before I met you. I might be going to hell." Tears filled Rachel's eyes and Finn frowned. "What's wrong?"_

_"I don't want you to go to hell." Rachel let a sob escape her lips. "I want to see you again some time in the future."_

_"I'm sorry." Finn sighed as tears filled his own eyes._

_"No." Rachel shook her head. "If you can't go to heaven, then I want to go to hell with you." _

_Finn smiled slightly and kissed her hand. "Don't worry, I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure I go to heaven with you."_

_"You better." Rachel smiled at Finn and closed her eyes._

_"Is there anything else you want to do before you..." Finn let the sentence hang, it hurt too much to finish it._

_"Die?" Rachel finished it for him and opened her eyes. Finn nodded. "There is one thing..."_

_"What?" Finn asked._

_Rachel sat up and leant closer to Finn. "For you to kiss me." _

_Finn smiled and leant forward. "I may be able to help you with that." _

_He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against Rachel's, holding her cheek as he did._

* * *

**26th August 2021**

Finn weaved through the gravestones until he reached the one he was searching for. He hadn't been here in six years. For the past six years he had been in Afghanistan serving his country, fighting for what he knew was right. Now he had returned, apart from a few scrapes and bruises he was relatively unscathed.

He read the words on the gravestone.

**_R.I.P_**

**_Rachel Berry_**

**_18th December 1994 - 1st September 2015_**

**_A dear daughter, granddaughter, niece, and friend._**

**_Sadly missed._**

Finn's eyes went misty and he pulled a tissue from the pocket of his uniform. He had worn it here to show Rachel how much he had changed since they first met. He was proud of himself. He wiped his face and looked at the grave like it was Rachel sat there.

"Here I am." Finn smiled and shrugged. "Six years ago, I said I'd do everything I could to get to heaven. I've done the most courageous thing I could do: protect the lives of millions of people in this country. I've done and seen the unthinkable to protect people like you." Finn wiped a tear from his cheek. "And I'm only just getting started. I'm going to raise money for charities; help people; be the best person I could be, just like you. You're my hero Rachel, my inspiration. I've not said goodbye to you, and I never will, because I'll see you up there soon."

Finn wiped more tears from his face and spent a few minutes looking at the grave. As he stood there, a small white feather floated down and landed on the floor in front of him. Finn though back a few years to what he had heard. A white feather is a sign of the presence of a loved one that has passed. Though Finn wasn't a superstitious person, it was a comforting thought.

Finn smiled and bent down, picking up the white feather and tucking it in his pocket.

"See you soon, Rach." Finn saluted to the grave in front of him and made his way back to the car.


End file.
